Warnings have been issued to anyone heading to Spain, Portugal or France on holiday as temperatures soar over 48C - 120F.

Super-heated air from the Sahara could see the continent break European heat records set in 1977.

It comes as the UK looks set to warm up to more than 30C at the weekend, reports The Mirror .

Met Office forecaster Richard Miles said: "Tourists in Spain and Portugal clearly need to take care in such high temperatures."

Spain's Meteorological Agency says eight provinces in the southern Andalusia region and around Madrid are under high risk because of the heat wave hitting the country starting on Wednesday.

Two dozen more provinces are also on a lower level of alert, with the agency saying that the mercury could hit 44C in three major river valleys on Thursday and Friday.

Authorities are warning against venturing outdoors during the peak sunny hours of the day and advising citizens to drink water and keep houses and vehicles as cool as possible.

Much of Britain is likely to bask in dry and warm weather until the bank holiday weekend at the end of the month.

(Image: Met Office)

Long-range forecasts suggest settled conditions could persist for much of the month, although there could be short intervals of showers.

Computer models predict that it would stay warm for large parts of England and Wales through most of August with temperature above average most of the time. Northern Ireland and Scotland could be fresher with a greater risk of showers.

However, temperatures are unlikely to surpass the heat of this weekend when it is anticipated the mercury could soar to 33C in southern parts of the country. Temperatures are expected to remain widely above average for most from Friday, with further spells of very warm or perhaps even hot conditions possible, especially in the south.

Some models also suggest a chance of lower pressure eventually edging towards Britain from the Atlantic, which would allow more red-hot temperatures to sweep across the country from the south before a thundery outbreak and fresher weather returning from the west.

Overall, the outlook suggests a continuation of the fine and dry conditions for most of England and Wales, but more unsettled weather further north and west. Temperatures are likely to remain above normal for the foreseeable time.

A spokesperson for The Weather Channel said the heat would ease for a time next week before building again. The forcaster added: “Temperatures will begin to feel less-hot from Tuesday as high pressure recedes to the northeast Atlantic and a series of troughs move over the British Isles and Scandinavia to northern mainland Europe.

“Feeling fresher and temperatures closer towards the seasonal average from Thursday.

A study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine predicts that heatwaves will on average kill 2,160 people every year in Britain between 2031 and 2080 if nothing is done to curb greenhouse gas emissions.